It's hard to complain when the New York Giants secured their first road win over the Philadelphia Eagles since 2013. If we're calling balls and strikes, though, veteran running back Devin "Motor" Singletary's performance left much to be desired.
The Giants turned to Singletary without second-year bruiser Cam Skattebo, who was out with a hamstring injury, in their monumental 19-11 victory in Philadelphia. They didn't really have another choice, barring a trade ahead of the game. A lack of alternatives doesn't make the results, or lack thereof, any better, frankly.
Singletary did a whole bunch of nothing in his spot start. He ran for 31 scoreless yards on 21 attempts, "adding" eight yards on two receptions. It was supposed to be an inviting matchup for him, too.
On a day when Singletary monopolized New York's backfield, he was very clearly stretched (well) beyond his limits. The 29-year-old squandered a prime chance to solidify himself as a rotational mainstay, even when Skattebo is healthy or an outside addition enters the mix.
Devin Singletary squandered a prime opportunity to stake his claim in the Giants' RB plans
Entering Week 9, no team gave up more RB rushes than the Eagles (215), and they surrendered the third-most yards on the ground to the position (926). Their -0.012 expected points added (EPA) per designed rush allowed ranked 29th.
In theory, the G-Men also paved the way for Singletary to exploit Philadelphia's shortcomings by leading for much of the second half. Alas, that was far from the case in practice, and his insufficient wiggle or burst was evident, as the numbers show. Despite the heavy volume, he forced two missed tackles and generated just one explosive run and one first down.
No one recorded more carries than Singletary in November's second Sunday slate. He played 62 of Big Blue's 67 offensive snaps in the defeat of the reeling Eagles. His dominant usage didn't translate into meaningful box-score production, but more importantly, it made sustaining drives incredibly difficult for much of the afternoon.
New York got more juice from undrafted free agent rookie Gregory Desrosiers Jr., who's only been here for a cup of coffee, than Singletary.
Can Gregory Desrosiers Jr. carve out a role in the Giants' backfield?
Desrosiers was signed from the Los Angeles Chargers' practice squad on Oct. 27 and elevated to the 53-man roster with Skattebo sidelined. A 3-20-0 rushing line won't blow anyone away, yet he had a couple of solid runs when the Giants were in clock-killing mode. The Memphis product nearly outgained Singletary on a significantly lower workload.
Head coach John Harbaugh hasn't minced words: he's been waiting for someone to step up and emerge as New York's lead back. Yes, Skattebo, Singletary and Tyrone Tracy Jr. (who's sidelined with a hamstring issue) delivered under pressure in the club's defeat of the Houston Texans. However, the trio's overall body of work in 2026 is still shoddy, opening the door for an unheralded player like Desrosiers to join the fold.
Actions speak louder than words, and Harbaugh has shown he isn't afraid to shake things up to try to fix their running woes. Tracy was relegated to special teams duties early on after his preseason struggles spilled into the campaign. Singletary was a healthy scratch for three straight contests, and even Skattebo was benched following a costly fumble.
If Desrosiers can help the offense stay on schedule and avoid mistakes, why wouldn't the Giants get him more involved?
Note: Advanced metrics courtesy of Pro Football Focus' premium stats ($).
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